Glamping in the Golden State

Get the starry nights, campfire stories, cosy bed, and all the best parts of glamping in some of California’s most scenic settings.

These destinations provide the best of both worlds – a back-to-nature break, but with the comfort you crave in the great outdoors

Check out the five best glamping spots in California.

Tule Ranch, Morgan Hill

About one hour from San Francisco, Tule Ranch is a working, family-owned eco-ranch that offers leisurely tours where guests can pitch in on all aspects of the operation. There is an opportunity to help out by feeding the livestock, grooming quarter horses, or stocking livestock water with mosquito-devouring goldfish. It also has a single glampsite set on the tip of the San Francisco Bay Peninsula. This uniquely private setting, perfect for a solo getaway or couples, offers sweeping views, a wine-barrel sun shower, deck, swinging chair, and bed linens. Visitors can explore Morgan Hill and the surrounding Silicon Valley area to discover wineries, a farmers’ market, and the up-and-coming downtown.

KOA Ventura Ranch, Heritage Valley

With zip lines, climbing walls, teepees, and deluxe cabins, KOA Ventura Ranch isn’t the typical just-off-the-highway group campground. Tucked into the coastal hills of Santa Paula, a little over an hour north of Los Angeles, this family-friendly destination is part of the nationwide KOA chain. Guests can stay in a teepee that accommodates up to eight people. The grounds are so spread out here that some visitors opt to zip around on motorbikes or golf carts that are available for rent. In addition to the teepees there are deluxe and studio cabins with partial kitchens, A/C, coffee makers, and Wi-Fi.

AutoCamp, multiple locations

AutoCamp is a luxury tent hotel in multiple locations including Santa Barbara, Sonoma County, or outside Yosemite National Park. Several of the sleek, vintage trailers are fully outfitted, with a little deck, a gadget-filled kitchen, and cosy quilts. Each trailer also includes two cruiser bikes perfect for rides to the beach, or the bustling Santa Barbara Public Market, where visitors can pick up designer cupcakes, crusty artisan bread, and other treats. In Sonoma, visitors can walk down to the Russian River to swim or canoe, play lawn games, or lounge by a fire pit inside or outside the mid-century-modern-style clubhouse.

Treebones Resort, Big Sur

Along the spectacular Big Sur coast there’s a unique glamping experience, Treebones Resort, with 16 yurts perched on redwood platforms, each with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can step inside for surprisingly swanky touches, such as queen-size beds and cushy couches, plus sinks, heaters, and electric lights. Outside, deck chairs provide the perfect vantage point for sunsets. Other truly unique options include the Human Nest and Twig Hut, “wood-art” installations that up to two people can sleep in. At the other end of the luxury spectrum is the solar-powered 500-square-foot “autonomous tent,” a cocoon-like structure that includes a private deck, claw-foot shower, king-size bed, gas fireplace, and outdoor fire pit.

Sequoia High Sierra Camp, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Located at Sequoia National Forest land between Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, roughly a four-hour drive south of Yosemite Valley, is the remote Sequoia High Sierra Camp, a wilderness site where guests get cozy in off-the-grid tent-cabins. This is glamping in truly exceptional California style: Dinners are five-course, open-air affairs prepared by a gourmet chef, and canvas tents are outfitted with luxurious rugs, feather duvets, and woollen blankets on cosy beds. In addition, there are stunning views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Upon the return to camp, guests can take a hot outdoor shower under a canopy of sequoia branches and enjoy the unforgettable view.

www.visitcalifornia.com